Brian Boyle came off the ice during Thursday's morning skate sporting a thick bandage around the back of his neck.

The recently-acquired centre was hit by Tom Wilson in the first period of Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Washington Capitals. Boyle skated in one more shift but elected to take himself out of the game during the first intermission.

“That was more or less just kind of for me if I was going to be able to help the club or not,” Boyle said about the decision to leave the game. “I really didn’t think with how it was going, I wasn’t going to be able to help us win the game. That’s the first time I’ve ever done that. Sometimes it’s how it has to go.”

Boyle, 32, has seen his fair share of bumps and bruises in his ten-year NHL career. He carries around a knee brace which hangs in his stall in the dressing room, a necessity from an injury early on in his professional career. He also uses a seat cushion on the bench.

With the Leafs having at least three more chances to clinch a playoff berth, Boyle's decision to remove himself from the game in which they were being dominated by the NHL's best team was wise. Boyle's return to the lineup on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning has validated the decision.

Boyle has elevated the effectiveness of the fourth line.

“He's been huge for us, we acquired him for a reason,” Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. “He's a voice in the room, on our bench. I think he's been real important for us that way. As important as his play is, maybe that part is more important.”

Boyle's score-adjusted possession rating with Toronto is 63 per cent. He replaced centre Ben Smith, who has a score-adjusted possession rating of 44 per cent. The options at the fourth-line centre position are slim had Boyle been out for an extended amount of time. Frederik Gauthier's score-adjusted possession rating is 41 per cent.

“With our line, we want to keep contributing and getting better,” Boyle said.”People look at teams year-to-year, but you can definitely get better in the year.”

In 18 games with the Leafs, Boyle has the Leafs playing better.

The Leafs can clinch their first playoff berth since 2013 with a win against the Lightning, who need a win just to keep their slim playoff chances alive.

The chance to put away the team that traded him on Feb. 27 isn't lost on the veteran of 100 playoff games.

“It's time to close it out. It's time to punch our ticket,” Boyle said. “You've got to prove your worth.”

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David Alter covers the Maple Leafs for The Athletic. David has previously reported on the Leafs for the National Post, Sportsnet (The Fan 590) and theScore.com. He has also worked at Twitter as part of the Canadian team that launched Twitter Moments. Follow David on Twitter @dalter.